| Abstract: |
The research explores the effects of digital health messaging on the health behaviour and trust of the population in the context of the increasing health-related misinformation in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Health Belief Model (HBM) and Diffusion of Innovations Theory in order to address audience perceptions and reactions towards digital health messages. A survey was adopted in which the sample is the residents of Ado-Ekiti Metropolis, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Using the formula by Taro Yamane, a sample size of 400 was calculated from the projected population of 469,700 residents. Simple random sampling was used in the selection of the respondents. The 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Findings show that notification about infectious diseases and prevention are the most common type of digital health communication in the city. These alerts are mostly social media alerts as opposed to being institutional. Although much of the message is seen by a lot of people, many of the residents believe that these messages are not well constructed and hence difficult to understand. People try to verify facts but they are confused by the contradictory assertions that are available online which still keep public trust at a moderate level. False information, in particular false sickness alarms is prevalent and impacts the health choices of individuals and groups. The study recommended that for a successful digital health communication in Ado-Ekiti, there is a need for better and culturally appropriate messages, as well as greater government participation, and more proactive strategies to manage disinformation. |
